President Barack Obama observed Veterans Day, Friday, with the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns followed by remarks at Arlington National Cemetery.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, "The tide of war is receding," Obama said, referring to the end of the Iraq war and the troop drawdown in Afghanistan. "My fellow Americans, our troops are coming home."

The president spoke before heading to holiday basketball game aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson -- the first-ever "Carrier Classic."

After the game, Obama will travel to Hawaii for an Asia-Pacific summit.

In an essay in Friday's San Diego Union-Tribune, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill wrote that, "Because of the incredible courage of the 9/11 generation, the tide of war is receding and America is more secure than a decade ago."

"But as our service members return, many are discovering a new battlefield as they leave the military and search for civilian employment opportunities," they wrote.